Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a security guard make in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $35,460 a year ($17.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 29,250 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,670 and $48,140; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,672 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX at a glance

Median salary

$35,460$17.05 per hour · $2,955 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,670$13.30/hr
25th percentile$28,980$13.94/hr
75th percentile$42,880$20.61/hr
90th percentile$48,140$23.14/hr
Jobs in this metro29,250Location quotient 1.08 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $49,410
Against Texas1% belowStatewide median $35,980
Against the U.S.7% belowNational median $38,020

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Security guard salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX after taxes

$35,460
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,460
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,672After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,556Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,180Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,075 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,713 / yr

Security guards pay range in Houston-Pasadena, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What security guards earned in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$13.30/hr$2,306$27,670$24,396
25th percentile$13.94/hr$2,415$28,980$25,465
MedianMedian$17.05/hr$2,955$35,460$30,672
75th percentile$20.61/hr$3,573$42,880$36,634
90th percentile$23.14/hr$4,012$48,140$40,860

Is $35,460 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for security guards next to both.

Median household income$82,168Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.61.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Security guard pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for security guards in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area was $35,460 in May 2025, about $2,955 a month or $17.05 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $35,980, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for security guards in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median hourly wage for security guards in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX was $17.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.14.

How many security guards work in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS estimated 29,250 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.08 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for security guards in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX run from $27,670 at the 10th percentile to $28,980 at the 25th, $42,880 at the 75th, and $48,140 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do security guards take home after taxes in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On a median gross salary of $35,460, an estimated $30,672 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,180 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,788 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do security guards make per month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On the median annual salary of $35,460, gross monthly income is $2,955. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,556 per month (or $1,180 every two weeks).

Is $35,460 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

At $35,460, the median salary for security guards is 43.2% of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX median household income ($82,168). It is 28% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.6, so prices here run 1.4% below the U.S. average.